Students protest in Anantnag, Budgam against forces’ ‘high-handedness.

Clashes broke out on thursday between student protesters and security forces in Anantnag and Baramulla districts of Kashmir, police said. Dozens of students from a government higher secondary school in Dooru area of Anantnag district demonstrated against the alleged high—handedness of security forces during students’ protests last month in Pulwama district, a police official said.

Some of the students started hurling stones at security forces deployed there compelling them to use force in an attempt to chase the protesters away.

The clashes were still going on till last reports came in but no one was reported to be injured so far, the official said.

Similar clashes took place in Sopore town in Baramulla district as students from a local government higher secondary school staged a protest, he said.

Additional police force has been rushed to both the spots to bring the situation under control and restore order, the official said.

The students were protesting against the alleged highhandedness of security forces against students of Degree College Pulwama on 15 April and the subsequent protests thereafter across Kashmir.

They also demanded the release of the students arrested by the police during these protests over the past one month.

A police raid on Government degree college, Pulwama had triggered widespread protests by students across Kashmir on 17 April and these have been going on intermittently since then, prompting authorities to suspend classes in the higher educational institutions for over a week in last month.

A number of students were also arrested during clashes in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley